By: Amie Massaquoi, Information Officer, ACC.
The Ombudsman of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Tejan Ahmed Israel Jah Esq., together with his team, has on the 13th March 2024, paid a courtesy visit to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at its Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown.
The courtesy visit is a bridge for the new Ombudsman to familiarize with the ACC, as both institutions two years ago signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and are in the accountability and good governance space.
In his statement, the Deputy Commissioner, ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie commended the Ombudsman and his team for seeking interest in the ACC. “The relationship between the two sister institutions has existed since their establishment, and has been formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding which speaks greater things” he said.
He commended the Ombudsman for taking the step to raise awareness about the office and what it does, as only the office will be able to tell its story with the right information and narrative. He furthered that, the Commission is more than willing to extend its support where needed. Mr. Ngobie assured the Ombudsman that the ACC will continue to collaborate with them as they share some of the same offences such as, abuse of office.
Stating the purpose of visit, the Ombudsman, Tejan Ahmed Israel Jah expressed his sincere gratitude to the ACC Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie, and team for granting their request to pay a visit to the Commission as this will serve as a gateway for the Office of the Ombudsman to familiarize with the ACC and vice versa. He furthered that the visit is informed by the need for the two offices to work together as they share a common goal concerned with administrative accountability and transparency.
According to the Ombudsman, “the Office of the Ombudsman aim to raise awareness on its mandate which serves a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), to investigate and take actions and resolve complaints from members of the public who have suffered injustice as a result of maladministration by government agencies”, adding that, it is in light of this he has been paying courtesy visit to government institutions to ensure collaborative administration in public sector for good service delivery.
Ending his statement, the Ombudsman encouraged public officials to be diligent in their work. “When we lead, or play a role in public institutions, let us have it in mind that our roles in offices shall come to an end, while the offices are in perpetuity. Let us please set systems in place, that will help the institutions work better and in the interest of the State, so when we are away, we cannot be victims of what we set up” he underscored.
The Existing MOU between the ACC and the Office of the Ombudsman intends for both institutions to work cooperatively to identify issues relating to corruption and maladministration, and to develop strategies to enhance the performance of their respective responsibilities.
The interactive meeting which marked the courtesy visit was chaired by the Director, Public Education and External Outreach, ACC, Patrick Sandi.
